By traveling tool box I am not talking about a tool box you take on romantic trips. Let’s be honest, doing that would make you a total weirdo. I’m talking about the tool box you throw in the back of your junk when you take a road trip, head to the drag strip, go four wheeling, etc. Yesterday, I took the large barge known as Buford T Justice to Ye Olde New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire for some test and tune fun and new parts testing on the car. I made a bunch of laps, ran the quickest the car has ever gone, and then was awash in a sea of water and coolant mix. Oddly a water pump gasket had failed on one side of the pump where it mates to the block. What to do? Fix that mother, that’s what. I’d be shamed to death to let something like that stop be from driving home after seeing the guys on Drag Week work relentlessly for days on end to complete their trips.
I went to my handy-dandy “traveling” tool box which is a simple flip-top three door situation and went rooting around for the right wrenches and sockets (if you guessed 9/16ths…you win!). I found that stuff easily enough but at the rate this thing was barfing, I’d never get to the parts store before my nice new aluminum heads were melted into proverbial puddles. I always keep a small tube of gasket sealer/form-a-gasket in the tool box for occasions such as this. I cleaned up the block and the pump, blasted some of this miracle liquid onto the block, smeared it into position, let it set up, and put the pump and everything else back on the engine. I then filled the radiator and cruised home 80-miles.
The tube-o-goup is one of the things on my list of traveling tool box essentials. A decent assortment of screw drivers, sockets, wrenches, etc is also required to be in there. What about sauces, fluids, leak stopping rat turds, etc? What are five items you should never leave the house without in the tool box that resides in the rear of your hot rod. This could be super interesting and I bet there will be a ton of answers here (which means I may have to buy tools and or stuff….a perfect excuse!)
BangShift Question of The Day: What Are The 5 Essential Things You Need In Your Traveling Tool Box?
zip ties hammer screw driver pliers and crescent wrench
AAA Card, Lunch Money, Clean Socks, Travel Umbrella, Rolaids
AAA card stays in the wallet – not the toolbox – does that count?
1. zip ties (aka wire ties, or handcuffs if you prefer)
2. duct-tape (aka 200mph tape, it can fix a blown rad hose if you can get it to stick)
3. crescent wrench (aka adjustable hammer)
4. vice grips (aka locking pliers, hose crimpers, bolt head strippers, your choice)
5. gasket maker (aka permatex, right stuff, beer can epoxy – whatever you guys want to call it)
No. It will not ever fix a radiator hose. That works in the movies. In real life physics and water pressure mix with heat and that tape just proves no match. But ya know. Good try
One of those all-encompassing tool kits in a blow-molded case (wrenches, sockets, screwdriver handle and tips).
15-pound tire gauge for slicks.
12-volt air compressor.
Brake cleaner spray can.
-4 through -12 AN wrench set
screwdriver
channel locks
duct tape
brake clean
lighter
If 1,2,3 won’t fix it, use 4,5 to set it on fire
Ford tools (hammer/vice grips/pry bar) combo wrenches, wire+connectors+crimp tool, screw driver set and duct tape …. oh yea, a tube of RTV.
TFI socket, so the TFI will not fail
T-stat with center cut out.
test light
volt meter
tire plug kit
Freiburger – F-it. Just go.
May be cheating but when I actually have tools in the car its a hammer, vie grips, metric combo wrench set from 5mm to 23, 1/4 drive socket set (metric) , and 3/8 drive socket set, ( generally I can find a metric to fit all but maybe one standard set but it doesn’t work the other way around. So I don’t generally waste my time carrying them. If I actually carried suplies it would be duct tape. I bet I could make a gasket with that stuff.
spare ignition box/coil, starter, fuel pump, water pump, tire plugs/patches.
the list is endless…
In my Caprice 9C1, I keep a starter, opti, and alt. Plus the tool to R&R them.
A hammer , a BIGGER hammer ,an even BIGGER hammer , duct tape and WD-40.
1. Vice grips
2. Perforated strap or mechanics wire
3. Metric wrench set
4. Test light
5. Some sort of prying device
And: if it’s a Ford, a starter solenoid. If it’s a dodge, a voltage regulator.
don’t forget the hand cleaner
a good bottle of bourbon in case the tools won’t do the job.
hope you remember to put antifreeze back in..
1)gearwrench sets
2)”GOOD” vice grips
3)tire plug kit and electric pump
4)duct tape
5)Triple A card
Roadside safety is the most important thing. It does not matter what tool you have when you get hit by a semi or you get a face full of gasoline.
1. Reflective vest
2. Flashing lantern
3. Gloves
4. Safety glasses
5. Fire extinguisher
In my old truck I carried,
jack
four way tire lug tool
Sockets SAE
adjustable wrenches
rubber hammer
big hammer
oil
water
belts (usually old ones I took off to replace with new)
duct tape
electrical tape
zip ties
fire extinguisher
wire
rope
big flashlight and small
jb weld
extra hoses and fuel line
gas filter
all this fit nicely in my bed box, Never left home without them.
Besides all of the hand tools and glue I carry a small assortment of nuts and bolts and because I’m old school I carry points & condenser
I also carry heavy duty15′ jumper cables to help my friends out(because they don’t carry ’em).
One key thing that may or may not go into the toolbox itself is a high limit credit card!